Honolulu, Hawaiʻi – 6:39 pm – The TSUNAMI WARNING for the State of Hawaiʻi remains in effect. The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center (PTWC) has confirmed that a tsunami has been detected at additional locations across the Pacific, including gauges at Wake and Midway Islands, as well as several coastal locations in Japan.
The warning was issued following a major 8.7 magnitude earthquake off the Coast of Kamchatka, Russia. The PTWC’s latest bulletin confirms that a tsunami has been generated and could cause damage along Hawaiʻi’s coastlines.
Tsunami Wave Activity Detected: The PTWC is now reporting measurements from a broader network of gauges:
- Chichijima, Japan: A coastal measurement of 0.29 meters (1.0 feet).
- Wake, USA: A coastal measurement of 0.22 meters (0.7 feet).
- Midway: A coastal measurement of 0.31 meters (1.0 feet).
- Atka, Alaska: A coastal measurement of 0.31 meters (1.0 feet).
- DART 21416 (deep ocean): A measurement of 0.90 meters (3.0 feet).
The PTWC reminds the public that deep ocean DART measurements are generally much smaller than what would be measured at the coast.
The Hawaiʻi County Civil Defense previously issued a message with an evacuation deadline of 6:15 p.m. for those in the Tsunami Evacuation Zone. The estimated arrival time of the first tsunami wave in Hawaiʻi was 07:17 PM HST, and as of this bulletin’s release, that time has now passed. The PTWC advises that the danger can continue for many hours after the initial wave as subsequent waves arrive, and that the first wave may not be the largest.
Residents in all coastal areas are urged to remain in safe, designated areas and continue following official instructions. Further messages will be issued hourly or sooner as conditions warrant.